Sprint Cup 2013: Race 13 - FedEx 400 Benefiting Autism Speaks

FedEx 400 benefiting Autism Speaks

The NASCAR 2013 Sprint Cup tour makes its first stop at the Monster Mile in Dover, Delaware, one of the sport’s most unique tracks, one mile in length with high banks and concrete pavement. Like the “Lady in Black,” “The Track too Tough to Tame” in Darlington, South Carolina, the mid-Atlantic track is notorious for gobbling up race cars and sending competitive teams to the garage early as the slightest mishap provides little room for error. In recent years, Jimmie Johnson has owned the “Monster Mile” having won two out of four of the last spring races including last spring’s race. Johnson also won two out of four of the last fall races too, Brad Keselowski bringing home the trophy last fall.

Qualifying for tomorrow’s race looks kind for Toyota having captured al top four spots and five out of six of the top qualifiers. Denny Hamlin won the pole following his strategy to amass victories to make up for lost time from his absence due to back injury. Winning a spot in the chase on points would be difficult, but with top 20 standings and enough victories, no one is counting the #11 car out of his pursuit of the championship.

Martin Truex Jr. from just across the Delaware River considers Dover his home track in the outside pole spot. Kyle Busch and Matt Kenseth take the next two spots making Gibbs a most dominant force atop the field.

Desperate in need of some good fortune, Stewart-Haas driver, Ryan Newman, is the first non-Toyota ride in the #39 Chevrolet. Fortunes look good for the Penske camp who will have both crew chiefs back from suspension with Brad Keselowski in 8^th and Joey Logano in 9^th. If Jimmie Johnson will prevail, he’ll have to do so starting from 24^th.

Weather will be windy and warm with temperatures in the mid 80’s tomorrow afternoon with a slight chance of thunderstorms late in the afternoon.

POS		CAR #		DRIVER		MFG		SPONSOR		SPEED
1		11		Denny Hamlin		Toyota		FedEx Freight/Autism Speaks		157.978
2		56		Martin Truex Jr.		Toyota		NAPA Auto Parts		157.798
3		18		Kyle Busch		Toyota		M&M's		157.756
4		20		Matt Kenseth (PC5)		Toyota		Dollar General		157.736
5		39		Ryan Newman		Chevrolet		Haas Automation		157.715
6		55		Mark Martin		Toyota		Aaron's Dream Machine		157.604
7		29		Kevin Harvick		Chevrolet		Jimmy John's		157.549
8		2		Brad Keselowski (PC1)		Ford		Miller Lite		157.480
9		22		Joey Logano		Ford		Shell Pennzoil		157.460
10		1		Jamie McMurray		Chevrolet		Parade Media Group		157.405
11		5		Kasey Kahne		Chevrolet		Farmers Insurance		157.350
12		88		Dale Earnhardt Jr.		Chevrolet		National Guard		157.240
13		78		Kurt Busch (PC4)		Chevrolet		Furniture Row/Sealy		157.054
14		42		Juan Pablo Montoya		Chevrolet		Energizer		156.713
15		15		Clint Bowyer		Toyota		5-hour Energy		156.556
16		27		Paul Menard		Chevrolet		Menards/Libman		156.175
17		13		Casey Mears		Ford		GEICO		156.169
18		99		Carl Edwards		Ford		Subway		156.054
19		16		Greg Biffle		Ford		RiteAid/Ace		155.952
20		24		Jeff Gordon (PC6)		Chevrolet		AARP Credit Cards from Chase		155.696
21		33		Landon Cassill		Chevrolet		Bicycle NASCAR Playing Cards		155.440
22		14		Tony Stewart (PC2)		Chevrolet		Code 3 Associates/Mobil 1		155.407
23		17		Ricky Stenhouse Jr. #		Ford		Best Buy		155.239
24		48		Jimmie Johnson (PC3)		Chevrolet		Lowe's/Monsters University		155.206
25		51		Austin Dillon (i)		Chevrolet		Phoenix Construction		155.146
26		47		Bobby Labonte (PC7)		Toyota		Scott Products		155.086
27		83		David Reutimann		Toyota		Burger King/Dr.Pepper		155.059
28		38		David Gilliland		Ford		Long John Silver's		154.972
29		31		Jeff Burton		Chevrolet		Cheerios		154.679
30		9		Marcos Ambrose		Ford		DeWalt/Ace/CMN		154.619
31		98		Michael McDowell		Ford		Phil Parsons Racing		154.573
32		19		Mike Bliss(i)		Toyota		Plinker Tactical		154.500
33		43		Aric Almirola		Ford		Smithfield		154.480
34		30		David Stremme		Toyota		Widow Wax		154.295
35		34		David Ragan		Ford		Front Row Motorsports		153.984
36		87		Joe Nemechek (i)		Toyota		Royal Teak		153.636
37		7		Dave Blaney		Chevrolet		SANY		153.557
38		93		Travis Kvapil		Toyota		Burger King/Dr.Pepper		153.492
39		10		Danica Patrick #		Chevrolet		GoDaddy		153.381
40		36		J.J. Yeley		Chevrolet		DOHS Click it or Ticket		152.892
41		35		Josh Wise(i)		Ford		MDS Transport		152.355
42		32		Timmy Hill #		Ford		OXY Water		150.912
43		44		Scott Riggs		Ford		No Label		150.710

SPRINT CUP 2013: RACE 12: The Coca Cola 600 -- The Big One for Gen 6

The Coke 600 is one of the premium races on the years' calendar both representing the season's longest race and also one on home territory as the huge majority of teams are headquartered in close proximity to the team headquarters and homes of most of the racing teams. 

At this milestone point of the 2013 season, has anyone noticed the extent to which five time champ, Jimmie Johnson is leading the points standings?

Were the chase format not initiated, this would be about the earliest in the season talk would be speaking of an insurmountable lead. Johnson and Chad Knaus, his crew chief, seem to be up to any challenge not the least of which is adjusting to the new "Gen 6" car in much the same manner their mastery of the previous "Cat of Tomorrow" helped them become so dominant. Despite this, the buzz so far this year is making much of the success of the Joe Gibbs teams as Matt Kenseth taking on the #20 ride has proven to yield exactly what the team had hoped for, a consistent winner. Showing the Gibbs touch this year is tonight's poll sitter, Denny Hamlin, who, were it not for his wreck at the hands of Joey Logano at Fontana, would be right in the championship mix right now, sits on tonight's poll with a hot new track record.

Toyota tops tonight's qualifying results with the pole winner and four out of the top five positions after which Chevrolet takes control having Kurt Busch in the Furniture Row car on the outside poll and placing  nine cars in the top twenty once again making qualify an issue for Ford with only one top ten qualifier, Greg Biffle in 7th then Carl Edwards in 13th. Ford then has the final three top 20 spots with the two Petty rides, Almirola and and Ambrose. Defending champ, Brad Keselowski starts in 20th. 

Whose cars and drivers will hold up strongest in the marathon race?  One Hendricks engine blew up in practice forcing Danica Patrick to the back. Picking a favorite is no easy task given this is the Generation 6's first appearance in the Coke 600.

POS		CAR#		DRIVER		SPONSOR		MFG		SPEED
1		11		Denny Hamlin		FedEx Office		Toyota		195.624
2		78		Kurt Busch		Furniture Row Racing / Sealy		Chevrolet		195.221
3		20		Matt Kenseth		Home Depot / Husky		Toyota		195.094
4		55		Mark Martin		Aaron's Dream Machine		Toyota		194.595
5		15		Clint Bowyer		5-hour Energy		Toyota		194.503
6		5		Kasey Kahne		Time Warner Cable		Chevrolet		194.349
7		16		Greg Biffle		Fastenal		Ford		194.238
8		18		Kyle Busch		M&M's Red-White-Blue M-Prove America		Toyota		193.952
9		1		Jamie McMurray		Bad Boy Buggies		Chevrolet		193.694
10		39		Ryan Newman		Quicken Loans		Chevrolet		193.639
11		88		Dale Earnhardt Jr.		National Guard		Chevrolet		193.444
12		48		Jimmie Johnson		Lowe's Patriotic		Chevrolet		193.292
13		99		Carl Edwards		Fastenal		Ford		193.271
14		24		Jeff Gordon		Drive to End Hunger		Chevrolet		192.961
15		29		Kevin Harvick		Budweiser Folds of Honor		Chevrolet		192.52
16		42		Juan Pablo Montoya		Target		Chevrolet		192.287
17		56		Martin Truex Jr.		NAPA Auto Parts		Toyota		192.191
18		43		Aric Almirola		US Air Force		Ford		192.13
19		9		Marcos Ambrose		DeWalt		Ford		192.123
20		2		Brad Keselowski		Miller Lite		Ford		191.884
21		13		Casey Mears		GEICO		Ford		191.884
22		27		Paul Menard		Menards / Serta		Chevrolet		191.727
23		36		JJ Yeley		World Trade Barter Solutions		Chevrolet		190.988
24		10		Danica Patrick #		GoDaddy.com		Chevrolet		190.826
25		14		Tony Stewart		Bass Pro Shops / Mobil 1		Chevrolet		190.792
26		38		David Gilliland		Long John Silver's		Ford		190.665
27		31		Jeff Burton		Cheerios		Chevrolet		190.49
28		93		Travis Kvapil		Burger King / Dr Pepper		Toyota		190.416
29		21		Trevor Bayne		Motorcraft / Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center		Ford		190.409
30		17		Ricky Stenhouse Jr. #		Fastenal		Ford		190.241
31		22		Joey Logano		Pennzoil Shell		Ford		190.047
32		98		Michael McDowell		Hyde Park Storage Suites		Ford		189.967
33		7		Dave Blaney		SANY		Chevrolet		189.793
34		47		Bobby Labonte		Bush's Grillin' Beans		Toyota		189.401
35		34		David Ragan		Dockside Logistics		Ford		189.049
36		51		Regan Smith(i)		Hendrickcars.com		Chevrolet		188.725
37-OP		83		David Reutimann		Burger King / Dr Pepper		Toyota		188.383
38-OP		30		David Stremme		Lean 1 / Swan Energy		Toyota		188.265
39-OP		32		Timmy Hill #		OXY Water		Ford		188.114
40-OP		87		Joe Nemechek(i)		NEMCO Motorsports		Toyota		188.081
41-OP		33		Landon Cassill(i)		ShopBicycleCards.com / Little Joe's Autos		Chevrolet		188.075
42-OP		35		Josh Wise(i)		MDS Transport		Ford		186.406
43-OP		95		Scott Speed		Leavine Family Racing		Ford		188.659
				DID NOT QUALIFY
		19		Mike Bliss(i)		Gentry Plastics / Plinker Tactical		Toyota		188.219